Equality

We will reduce inequalities in the levels of heart disease across the UK.

We aim to achieve this by:

• focusing on communities and locations where the problem is most severe, typically those which are socially and economically deprived, and have specific high-risk ethnic groups.

Our achievements in 2009-10

Hearty Lives Newham

People living in Newham are more likely to die early from heart disease than anywhere else in London.

Our Hearty Lives Newham programme is contributing £1.5 million to help local people with heart disease to live longer, and prevent others getting it.

The programme includes:

• BHF Heart Nurses who help to treat heart patients in their own homes, and show people how to lead healthier lives
• training community volunteers to share health messages with their friends and family
• running specific projects, like helping Eastern European women in Newham to stop smoking.

Nearly 20 years ago Ramesh Verma set up the EKTA Project, a registered charity that aims to bring together groups of elderly, isolated, housebound and disabled Asian people living in Newham, to enhance their quality of life.

Last July the EKTA Project applied for a Help a Heart Grant and was awarded £2,000 to fund exercise dance classes and provide befriending and support.

We’ll be investing £9 million in carefully selected high-risk communities over the next five years.

Ramadan campaign

South Asians living in the UK are 50 per cent more likely to die prematurely from coronary heart disease. Muslims in particular are at even higher risk due to social deprivation and lifestyle factors.

Our Ramadan campaign works with Muslim communities to help them make positive lifestyle changes. This year we worked with local Ramadan radio in Luton, Blackburn, Pendle, Preston and London.

In Blackburn there were over 100 calls to the radio station asking for copies of our Healthy meals, healthy heart recipe book. Four mosques in the local area decided not to offer traditional food, sometimes high in saturated fat and salt at the end of fast, but encouraged donation of fruits and used our recipes to make healthy dishes.

Mela campaign

Melas are South Asian cultural fairs that often mark events in religious or agricultural calendars. In the UK, Melas have evolved into glitzy affairs that attract thousands of people, with delicious food, and performances from Bollywood superstars.

They’re a great way to bring heart health messages to South Asians. Last year we participated in Melas in London, Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle and one particular success story was recruiting nearly 2000 young people to our Artie Beat Club.